Genesis 41:50
in Genesis 41Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On, bare unto him.
KJV
And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti–pherah priest of On bare unto him.
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This verse in Genesis 41
Commentary
6 notes on this verseTwo sons - Whom he called by names expressive of God’s particular and bountiful providence towards him. Manasseh, מנשה menashsheh, signifies forgetfulness, from נשה nashah, to forget; and Ephraim, אפרים ephrayim, fruitfulness, from פרה parah, to be fruitful; and he called his sons by these names, because God had enabled him to forget all his toil, disgrace, and affliction, and had made him fruitful in the very land in which he had suffered the greatest misfortune and indignities.
This site's exposition
Before the years of famine arrived
on Genesis 41:50-52
Two sons are born before the famine, and the names carry the story. Manasseh is named for the God who made him forget his hardship and his father's household, and that household is about to walk into Egypt for bread. Ephraim names him fruitful in the land of his affliction.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Verse 50 and following) And Joseph had two sons before the years of famine came, whom Aseneth, the daughter of Potipherah, the priest of On, bore to him. And Joseph called the name of his firstborn son Manasseh, for God has made me forget all my toil and all my father's house. And the name of the second he called Ephraim, for God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It had been the land of his affliction, and in some sense it was still so, for it was not Canaan, the land of promise. His distance from his father was still his affliction. Note, Light is sometimes sown for the righteous in a barren and unlikely soil; and yet if God sow it, and water it, it will come up again.
He was made to forget his misery, but could he be so unnatural as to forget all his father's house? And he was made fruitful in the land of his affliction. It had been the land of his affliction, and, in some sense, it was still so, for his distance from his father was still his affliction.
And unto Joseph were born two sons,....
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּלְיוֹסֵ֤ף | uleyosef | and to Joseph | H3130 → | 213 times |
| יֻלַּד֙ | yulad | it was born | H3205 → | 496 times |
| שְׁנֵ֣י | shenei | two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| בָנִ֔ים | vanim | sons | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְּטֶ֥רֶם | beterem | <in> before | H2962 → | 56 times |
| תָּב֖וֹא | tavo' | it came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| שְׁנַ֣ת | shenat | [the] year of | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הָרָעָ֑ב | haraav | <the> famine | H7458 → | 101 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יָֽלְדָה־ | yaldah- | she bore | H3205 → | 496 times |
| לּוֹ֙ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| אָֽסְנַ֔ת | ʾasenat | Asenath | H621 → | 3 times |
| בַּת־ | bat- | [the] daughter of | H1323 → | 588 times |
| פּ֥וֹטִי | poti | Poti- | H6319 → | 6 times |
| פֶ֖רַע | fera' | -phera | H6319 → | 6 times |
| כֹּהֵ֥ן | kohen | [the] priest of | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֽוֹן׃ | ʾon | On | H204 → | 4 times |
וּלְיוֹסֵ֤ףand to Joseph
uleyosefH3130 →213 times
יֻלַּד֙it was born
yuladH3205 →496 times
שְׁנֵ֣יtwo
sheneiH8147 →768 times
בָנִ֔יםsons
vanimH1121 →4930 times
בְּטֶ֥רֶם<in> before
beteremH2962 →56 times
תָּב֖וֹאit came
tavo'H935 →2568 times
שְׁנַ֣ת[the] year of
shenatH8141 →877 times
הָרָעָ֑ב<the> famine
haraavH7458 →101 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יָֽלְדָה־she bore
yaldah-H3205 →496 times
לּוֹ֙to <the> him
lo
אָֽסְנַ֔תAsenath
ʾasenatH621 →3 times
בַּת־[the] daughter of
bat-H1323 →588 times
פּ֥וֹטִיPoti-
potiH6319 →6 times
פֶ֖רַע-phera
fera'H6319 →6 times
כֹּהֵ֥ן[the] priest of
kohenH3548 →750 times
אֽוֹן׃On
ʾonH204 →4 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 48:5And now your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here shall be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
it leads to
- Genesis 41:50–52
Before the years of famine arrived, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 46:20
Manasseh and Ephraim were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 14:4
The descendants of Joseph became two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion of the land was given to the Levites, except for cities in which to live, along with pasturelands for their flocks…
- Joshua 13:7
Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”
- Genesis 41:50–52
Through
2 Samuel 8:18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priestly leaders.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 30:14
We raided the Negev of the Cherethites, the territory of Judah, and the Negev of Caleb, and we burned down Ziklag.”
- 2 Samuel 15:18
and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
- 1 Chronicles 18:17
Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.
- 2 Samuel 20:7
So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
- 1 Samuel 30:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Genesis
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.